Yamaha U1 Age and value

[GameproMax]

I have a Yamaha U1 with the serial number 6326541.

I only bought it last year and was told it was a couple of years old - does anyone know how old it is and what I should sell it for (ex VAT)?

[dazed]

http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/product ... s_num.html

That link will give you dates. Having just bought one (a little knowledge is a dangerous thing warning) and if good condition I would guess the value is between GBP2.5k and GBP3k ish. Lots of example on web... There again 63* doesn't seem to have been manufacturered yet... not an import...?

[PianoGuy]

I have a Yamaha U1 with the serial number 6326541.

I only bought it last year and was told it was a couple of years old - does anyone know how old it is and what I should sell it for (ex VAT)?

If you bought that last year, it would have been newer than the pianos coming out of Yamaha-Kemble, so it will either be a grey import or a personal import from Europe, where they often get newer than us. You can advertise it as newer than a new one! The last imported "nearly new" one I saw was serial number 6,800,000-ish! The latest from Milton Keynes are 6,200,000!!

Assuming it's perfect, you should be able to get 3K plus for it. Why do you want to sell? It should be a nice piano.

[GameproMax]

Thanks for the responses (it's obviously been a while since I looked!).

I'm assuming from your responses then, that some are made in Milton Keynes (6,200,000) and some in Japan (serial number 6,800,000 ish) and that mine with serial number 6,326,541 it is assumed it was made in Japan?

[athomik]

I have a Yamaha U1 with the serial number 6326541.

The last imported "nearly new" one I saw was serial number 6,800,000-ish! The latest from Milton Keynes are 6,200,000!!

Assuming it's perfect, you should be able to get 3K plus for it. Why do you want to sell? It should be a nice piano.

According to all the sources I can find, low 6,200,000 are current production, whether for export or Japan.This would mean that serial number 6326541 is to will have been built around 2009/10.

Do grey importers (or s/h piano shippers in Japan) apply their own serial numbers - for whatever reason?

[Grenache]

My U1 is brand new, it was delivered only 3 weeks ago, and the number is 6,22x,xxx. I was told that it was being imported from Japan (I had to wait a couple of months). Unless of course it's not.....

[Karel225]

What's hapening with Yamaha U-series serial numbering? I received an offer for a piano new U1 with the number 6.43x.xxx from 2006!!???

Can somebody give me an explanation? I am shocked.

[PianoGuy]

What's hapening with Yamaha U-series serial numbering? I received an offer for a piano new U1 with the number 6.43x.xxx from 2006!!???

Can somebody give me an explanation? I am shocked.

I am not sure what's happening, but I can assure you that these pianos exist.

Was it explained to you that it was a grey import? Was the "U1" badge stuck on thr frame in gold letters?

[Karel225]

Where do these piano's come from?

He didn't tell me about grey import. What do you actually mean by grey import. He assured me that it was a new piano he said, only it was 2 years old.

And yes, U1 was stuck on the frame in gold letters. Do you have such a piano?

[PianoGuy]

Where do these piano's come from?

He didn't tell me about grey import. What do you actually mean by grey import. He assured me that it was a new piano he said, only it was 2 years old.

And yes, U1 was stuck on the frame in gold letters. Do you have such a piano?

Nobody is actually sure where they come from, but they're not built for the UK market. Athomik is good for insider info, and from what I can glean from his above post he's not sure either.

No I don't have one, but I've seen a fair few. Nothing wrong with them, but be careful where you buy from, and bear in mind that it was sold cheap new as a non-UK-market (grey market) import, so should be even cheaper second hand.

Is it a high street dealer selling it?

[Karel225]

Yes it's a high street dealer. That's why I'm shocked. It's being sold as an U1 fromTaiwan in order to distinquish it from the U1's from Japan which are more expensive for 'commercial' reasons I assume...

Is there a list of serial numbers and the correlating year of manufacture for yamaha piano's? I'm wondering if Yamaha uses one or two lists. One for the white and one fore grey piano's. Or can it happen that there will be piano's with the same serial number in the near future or does Yamaha skip's from 6,2 million to 6,8 for the official piano's. So the grey's are 400.000 ahead now?

I can't believe Yamaha is doing this for any reason. Which expert can explain to me what's happening and for what reason?

Who can solve the mistery?

[mdw]

I would guess the "grey "market ones arnt being sold by authorised uk yam dealers. Cant see Yamaha being too happy with that.

I would have said once its 2nd hand its 2nd hand. Its almost irrelivant where it came from as theres loads of 2nd hand yams over here already so price is determined by age condition etc .

[Karel225]

Do you mean the piano's with serial numbers from 6,3 to 6,8 million are actually second hand? If so, why do they have a serial number which is higher than 'official' piano's.

Regardless who sell's the piano or if it's a white or a grey one, is there one series of numbering or different series of numbering? Is there a list or cataloque where I can verify numbers from in the range 6,3-6,8 million.

I'm afraid I won't get a clear answer on these questions. Or is there somebody who wants to reveal the truth....

[PianoGuy]

Do you mean the piano's with serial numbers from 6,3 to 6,8 million are actualy second hand? If so, why do they have a serial number which is higher than 'official' piano's.

Regardless who sell's the piano or if it's a white of a grey one, is there one series of numbering or different series of numbering? Is there a list of cataloque where I can verify numbers from in the range 6,3-6,8 million.

I'm afraid I won't get a clear answer on these questions. Or is there somebody who wants to reveal the truth....

I wish we knew the truth!

I have discovered these at several dealers, and in all cases they've realised they were in effect new, but were sold as second-hand 'nearly' new. Retail price when unused has hovered around the 4k mark, so a used one should be around 3.5k.

Stories vary as to their origin. Some dealers believe them to be from Japan, and this is certainly possible, since 'Made In Japan' doesn't appear on the frame (Japanese market ones are rarely labelled with place of manufacture) and they have the Japanese warranty card bracket affixed to the inside of the cabinet. Other stories suggest they are made in Pearl River, China - again possible since some were imported by Chinese piano distributors, and others believe them to be from Taiwan. The serial numbers are in a different font from the official ones, and the frame, music desk and hammers are all slightly different. Some dealers in the Netherlands seem to have plenty, so there was a rumour that they were for the European market.

It is of course possible that they are a clever Chinese bootleg and have no connection with Yamaha at all, but I doubt that. They're too good.

[Karel225]

Do you know where these dealers buy these piano's? The dealers should know exactly where they come from because this trade is their core business, I presume. Maybe they'' ll get severe problems with Yamaha UK if this trade is disclosed.

Are the serial numbers only in a different format or do they also have an own sequence?

What do you mean with a slightly different? Can you be more specific? How can I recognize such a piano? Do you know if there are any differences in quality?

[PianoGuy]

Do you know where these dealers buy these piano's? The dealers should know exactly where they come from because this trade is their core business, I presume. Maybe they'' ll get severe problems with Yamaha UK if this trade is disclosed.

Same importers as supply the gray market used ones I guess.

Are the serial numbers only in a different format or do they also have an own sequence?

The font is different and the digits spaced closer together, but I have no idea of sequence.

What do you mean with a slightly different? Can you be more specific? How can I recognize such a piano? Do you know if there are any differences in quality?

Quality really is fine, ie as good as the preparation quality of the shop selling them. If they are Chinese or Taiwanese built then they've learned fast. I would be very surprised if many tuners have even noticed that they're different.

The frame has two differences: There are plastic plugs near the corners and the "U1" badge is stuck on as described. The music desk has different hinge configurations and the hammers have maroon underfelt and are labelled simply "Yamaha" rather than "Yamaha NN" or "Yamaha K".

I'm guessing that they were imported due to demand from dealers (either genuine Yamaha dealers or otherwise) to enable them to be sold at a price which compared with the then common lowest discount price offered by the heavy Yamaha discounters, ie 4k. Now that Yamaha have tightened up on the discount prices given to the big traders bringing them more into line with the smaller dealers I expect demand has disappeared. Fair play to all concerned I reckon.

Yamaha's blind eye to huge discounts was a policy that's done nothing to improve the quality of the retail piano industry. There are some dealers out there trying really hard to give service and a good price who are having a very hard time, and others who sell cheap with poor service who are now starting to suffer as the credit dries up. Worst of all are those who bullshine their way selling rubbish at inflated prices who thrive.

A colleague who made a trip to a neighbouring county last week revealed one customer who'd bought a Yamaha C110 described by the dealer as a "bargain which would have been around £3,195 new" for 2K plus another £150 for delivery, so that's £2,150 in total. No warranty, no courtesy tuning. In fact the C110 was actually a shade under 2K at list, with typical discount price of £1,795. Some dealers sold them for as little as £1,395. Bear in mind that the new ones at least had a 5 year warranty and included VAT and delivery in the price, wheareas the second hand one sold by this particular rogue had no VAT included because he sells a few a year out of a cheap industrial unit or lock up or something. This means that he would have made an extra £300 or so profit over and above a genuine dealer.

With rogues like this thriving in the industry and honourable people having a hard time, I often wonder whether to quit.

[mdw]

With rogues like this thriving in the industry and honourable people having a hard time, I often wonder whether to quit.

You aint the only one. Its just that im a bloody minded b*****d that has stopped me and after 25 years im not going to hand my section of the market over to the cowboys and crooks. However if joe public doesnt wake up and smell the coffee thats what they may be left with. I found out yesterday I could make the same money by letting my premesis that I made in profit last year.
Havnt we been here before??? Hand me the tablets im going for a lie down.

[PianoGuy]

You aint the only one. Its just that im a bloody minded b*****d that has stopped me and after 25 years im not going to hand my section of the market over to the cowboys and crooks.

That's what keeps me going!

[nic]

To all those decent knowledgable traders out there -you are valued and will always outshine the cowboys ! Having read many of your posts I have been able to purchase my U1 having asked all the right questions, feeling I have paid an honest price and supported a small independent restorer/trader who knows his stuff. Don't think I would be in this position if it weren't for forums like this - keep up the good work

[firstpiano]

Does anyone have an answer on the confusion of Yamaha U1 serial numbers? I found one at U1 at 6,32++, mage for export to Europe and not sure what year it was built.